Parties invite talk, turnout

Voters who think their local political caucuses, like the presidential election, are two years away should think again – about the caucuses, not the race for the White House.

Idaho Democrats, and Washington Democrats and Republicans all have these meetings for the politically active and the politically curious in the next 10 days, each on a different day, with slightly different rules.

But the intent is essentially the same: Gather the faithful, and get them talking, energized and involved for this year’s elections.

“In the off-year, it’s a great opportunity to frame the platform, frame where you think the party should be headed in the coming years,” said Spokane County Democratic Chairwoman Sharon Smith.

Spokane County GOP Chairman Mark Sterk said he doesn’t expect a big crowd at his party’s caucuses. But this opportunity to get together is still valuable to discuss issues for the platform, a statement of shared values.

“We need to be in consensus with the platform,” said Sterk, so candidates know the direction the majority of the party is heading.

Caucuses are an old system of picking political leaders that has been discarded in many places as a remnant of the days when insiders gathered in “smoke-filled rooms” to make deals. The major political parties in Washington have continued to be strong defenders of their revised caucuses, which invite newcomers and generally occur in public buildings like schools or churches.

Idaho Democrats use it as a way to pick delegates for their state convention, which this year will be held in Idaho Falls. In busy presidential years, competition for those state convention slots can be fierce because delegates are awarded to different candidates based on their relative support among those who show up on caucus night. Strength at the caucuses can translate into delegates a presidential candidate needs to win the party’s nomination, and earn delegates a trip to the national convention for those willing to stick with the process.

When Idaho Democrats meet Tuesday night, the only question is who wants to attend the state convention, where the state platform is written, Kootenai County Democratic Chairman Bill Kestler said. Some party candidates for local office might be on hand to work the crowd, which will be one of the biggest gatherings of Democrats in the county this year.

Idaho Republicans skip the caucus process, going directly to the state primary in May.

Someone who attends a precinct caucus in Washington can sign up for a bigger commitment. Both parties encourage discussions of political issues at their caucuses, and resolutions supported at a caucus can wind their way through to a county or state platform. Washington parties also have a more extensive set of meetings that follow the caucuses for those who become delegates.

Washington Democrats pick people at their precinct caucus this Saturday afternoon to go to their county conventions on April 8 and a legislative district caucus, most of which are set for April 22. Those who want to attend even more meetings can try to get elected as a delegate to the congressional district caucus and the state convention June 3 in Yakima.

Washington Republicans, who hold their caucuses the evening of March 7, have county conventions in April and a state convention May 26, also in Yakima.

Caucuses usually draw two groups of people. The first are party regulars and other longtime political activists who understand the process and want to work it for a particular issue or candidate.

Some got involved by supporting George Bush or John Kerry in 2004. Others have been active for decades, after pushing for Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan or even Franklin Roosevelt.

The second are political newcomers who are looking for a way to express concern or even outrage over anything from a local zoning dispute to an international issue like the war in Iraq. For them the caucuses offer a chance to meet like-minded individuals from their neighborhood, or debate their points with people who disagree. Parties look at caucuses as an infusion of “new blood” into the body politic.

Because voters do not register by party in either state, caucus attendees must be willing to say they consider themselves a party member at that time.

One thing that sets caucuses apart from other political activity is their diversity. Some are crowded, others are sparsely attended or even completely unattended.

Some are tightly run by people who know Robert’s Rules of Order backward and forward. Others are free flowing in their discussions or debates.

In 2004, the Democratic caucuses were swamped with newcomers interested in the open presidential race. Kootenai Democrats had more than 150 attendees at their county caucus, and some precincts in Spokane had several dozen attendees. Republican caucuses that year were relatively tame and lightly attended because their nominee was already in office.

Neither party expects a huge turnout this year, but both know that issues ranging from war to Medicare to taxes have people talking. The caucuses provide them a chance to talk about such issues with others.